Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

There has been enough of drama in the Greek selection process for the Eurovision song contest 2018, as always. Long story short: Only three artists and songs seem to be left in the race and will take part in the February final, when televoters have their say on the outcome. Earlier this week two songs were disqualified. Depending on sources because they were not Greek enough in sound (remember Greek television wanted a song in Greek and with Greek elements so hej då Mello pop from Sweden - about the time, too!), or because the artists were a bit too close to ERT and they wanted to avoid yet another scandal. Horostalites - Apo tin Thraki eos tin Kriti Areti Ketime - Min ksehnas ton ilio Yianna Terzi - To oneiro mou Tony Vlachos - Baila jazz (disqualified) Duo Fina - Idio tempo (disqualified)

Greece is having a national final again and rumors who have maybe submitted a song are widely spread. ERT is aiming for a song in Greek, with Greek elements and this is manna to this blogger's ears, especially as similar news have come also from other countries. Maybe the Portuguese win has its effect on entries in 2018, and instead of Swedish bubblegum pop and songs without any identity will be replaced by songs with more ethnic elements and local flavour and language. As it should be. While waiting for that miracle to happen, et's get back to Greece.  While the submission period has been extended - maybe they still haven't found what they are looking for? - below are some singers rumored to have sent a song. But this is Greece, maybe in the final we will have none of these names - or maybe all of them..... Certainly they sound better than most their recent entries.... Areti Ketime (Αρετή Κετιμέ) Stereo Soul ft. Dj Koncept Panagiotis Tsakalakos ( Παναγιω...

It seems the rather unknown Thessaloniki band, hand picked by ERT's President Dionysos Tsaknis called Europond, for occasion renamed Argo - for obvoius motives: Who would be interested in Greek europonds these days? Anyways, the song will be revealed later and the band's line up has also changed a bt it seems and is Christina Lahana, Maria Ventidikou, Vladimiros Sofianides, Kostas Toupouzis and Elias Kesides. Friends of Zyriza maybe.....

Greece is here after all with the new broadcaster Nerit after ERT was closed down. And they come with a young group that shot to fame thanks to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton in 2011 and a Katy Perry cover . A few hit singles later Nikolas Raptakis (23) and Theofilos Pouzbouris (23) have teamed up with Jamaican-German Shane Schuller aka RiskyKidd (19) who's been in Greece since 2010. The Greeks are going to Rise up after all. Robert: Rise up was definitely the best song of the four songs in the Greek National final. However, this does not mean that I'm very impressed with the Greek entry this year. It will most probably reach the final but I would not regret it if they don't. I like the guys in the band though and think they are talented but that is more visible in their medley of different Eurovision winners. Hopefully, they will put that as a track on their next album. Blogilkar: I admit, they weren't my favorites in the Greek final but in the end this was...

For once the Greek rumors were true and today ERT and MadTV confirmed the four acts as the Greek national finalists. It looks like a step away from the usual and already worn out Greek formula in Eurovision. Hopefully the artists stay true to their "usual style" and don't jump on the Greek etno-pop train for the occasion! So, we have a diva like Aggeliki Iliadis, exotic Thomai Apergi, disco guru Alex Leon and then something else with Koza Mostra featuring traditional Agathonas Iakovidis. This blogger is very curiously waiting to hear the last mentioned.... and hoping they will wear their kilts! The date for the national final as well as their entries will be announced later.